Days after meeting in person with the league, the players’ union submitted a new counterproposal. But will the league accept it?

For now, the answer appears to be no. According to Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports, a WNBA spokesperson rejected the offer.

The union’s proposal includes team-provided housing for all players during the first several years of the proposed CBA. It also calls for players to receive 25% of the league’s gross revenue, averaging 27.5% over the life of the deal.

The union also lowered its requested salary cap to under $9.5 million, down from its previous request of roughly $10.5 million.

Even so, the league says the numbers still do not work. “The Players Association’s latest proposal remains unrealistic and would cause hundreds of millions of dollars of losses for our teams,” a league spokesperson said as per ESPN.

“We still need to complete two drafts and free agency before the start of training camp and are running out of time. We believe the WNBA’s proposal would result in a huge win for current players and generations to come.”

Well, the negotiations have now stretched over 16 months. Throughout the process, the league has emphasized financial stability and long-term sustainability.

Even now, the league projects that the union’s latest proposal would result in more than $460 million in losses over the life of the agreement.

In December, it was projected that an earlier union proposal would lead to nearly $700 million in losses and harm the league’s financial health. The union, however, disputes those figures.

Despite both sides making adjustments, the talks remain at a stalemate.

What’s Next in CBA Negotiations

Both parties have moved closer in some areas, but revenue sharing remains the biggest sticking point. And now time is also becoming an issue. The league must conduct expansion drafts for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo. 

Free agency and the collegiate draft are scheduled for April 13. Training camps set to begin April 19. With the season just weeks away, speculation suggests that late February to March 1 may be the final window to reach a deal without delaying the season.

If no agreement is reached, a delayed season or even a strike could become a real possibility. 

What do you think the best end for this would be? Tell us in the comments!

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Written by

Yashika Dutta

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu